Artificial intelligence is reshaping how we create, share, and experience stories – but how can African artists and immersive media creators ensure these technologies serve local cultures and communities?
In October 2024, Electric South hosted the AI & Immersive Media Convening to spark this vital conversation. Ten leading voices from AI research, XR and immersive storytelling, linguistics, academia, and the arts gathered at Diemersfontein Wine & Country Estate for two days of dialogue, collaboration, and collective reflection.
Together, the group unpacked what AI and emerging technologies mean for the African creative economy, asking tough questions about cultural ownership, local knowledge systems, and what effective AI governance should look like on the continent. Sessions tackled the risks and opportunities of synthetic media, the ethics of digital representation, and how to design governance models for AI that centre African artists and communities – rather than importing frameworks from elsewhere.
The convening laid the foundation for ongoing research, policy engagement, and community action to ensure that African artists, XR practitioners, and technologists actively shape how AI evolves. It is part of Electric South’s broader commitment to support fair, transparent, and locally relevant approaches to AI governance for the creative sector.This gathering marks a pivotal step in Electric South’s new focus on emerging technologies, immersive media, and equitable access for African creators. The inaugural Convening was supported by Meta, and forms part of Electric South’s Policy and Research Strategy, which launches an ongoing series of research, policy engagement, and community-led initiatives to build African-led AI governance models, drive ethical innovation, and strengthen vibrant storytelling across the continent.which aims to grow a regional network driving community-led AI governance, ethical innovation, and vibrant storytelling for the continent.
